[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-417050-105":59,"doc-detail-417050-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","core-vocabulary-and-descriptive-teaching-in-aac","Core Vocabulary and Descriptive Teaching in AAC","","Core Vocabulary and Descriptive Teaching in AAC explains how to support learners who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication by prioritizing high-frequency, reusable core vocabulary. It contrasts core versus fringe/content vocabulary and describes why core vocabulary enables sentence building and reduces programming demands. The handout defines descriptive teaching, outlines practical classroom strategies, and compares referential (closed) questioning with descriptive (open) questioning using example topics and sample Q&A.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/core-vocabulary-and-descriptive-teaching-in-aac/417050/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/core-vocabulary-and-descriptive-teaching-in-aac/417050.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"MrHarris58","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-28",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is core vocabulary in an AAC context?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Core vocabulary refers to high-frequency, reusable common words used across many people, places, and topics. It is mainly made up of pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions, with relatively fewer nouns.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does descriptive teaching differ from a referential approach?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Referential teaching often focuses on curriculum-specific or topic vocabulary and may require staff to program new words or create extra vocabulary sheets. Descriptive teaching uses common core words so students describe, define, or predict concepts using vocabulary already available in their AAC device.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Why is descriptive teaching beneficial for AAC learners and staff?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It supports student familiarity with existing device vocabulary across contexts and reduces the programming load for school staff. It also encourages learners to navigate and use core vocabulary to explain key concepts through open questions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},417050,1790695536,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":19,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":52,"preview_page_count":4},687212988360,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","Core Vocabulary and  \nDescriptive Teaching in AAC  \nClasses typically cover a wide range of topics each year. It can be useful to think about what words will be most useful for our students using AAC, and how we can support them to join in discussion about the varied topics that arise.  \nWhat is core vocabulary?  \nCore vocabulary refers to high frequency, re-usable common words. Approximately 80% of the words we use daily are drawn from a core of fewer than 400 words. These words are relatively consistent across groups of people, activites, places, and topics. Core vocabulary is primarily made up by pronouns, verbs, adjectives and prepositions, with a relative absence of nouns. While many may be considered simple words, they can be combined to communicate more complex sentences. Core vocabulary words overlap a lot with other high frequency word lists used by teachers such as the Dolch list.  \nOther words which make up the remaining 20% of our messages may be referred to as fringe or content vocabulary. These words, including a high proportion of nouns, vary depending on the topic or activity.  \nCore vocabulary is an important part of an AAC system, and crucial for students learning to combine words into sentences. Most comprehensive communication systems include both core vocabulary and fringe vocabulary.  \nA number of core vocabulary word lists are available online  \n[http://www.vantatenhove.com/papers.shtml](http://www.vantatenhove.com/papers.shtml)  \nWant to see the power of core vocabulary?  \nWatch this video clip for an example of how much can be communicated using only core words  \n[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqfVAPu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqfVAPu)[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqfVAPu)GzpI  \n(Van Tatenhove, 2009, Witkowski & Baker, 2012)  \nCommunication in the Classroom  \nThis handout was produced with funding received from the Non Government Centre Support for Non-School Organisations of Western Australia (2016)  \nPhone: 08 9381 0600  Web: [indigosolutions.org.](indigosolutions.org.au)[au](indigosolutions.org.au)   Email: help@indigosolutions.org.au  \n© 2020 Indigo Australasia Incorporated  \nWhat is descriptive teaching?  \n“Using a descriptive style, the teacher mentions and references the context-specific words, then teaches concepts behind the words using high frequency, re-usable, common words”(Van Tatenhove 2009) .  \nA referential approach to teaching is common in many classrooms, with a focus on critical concepts and topic specific vocabulary. Students are encouraged to demonstrate learning by responding using curriculum content words (eg. Herbivore) . When working with students using AAC this places a high time demand on staff either programming in new words to a student’s device or making extra vocabulary sheets. This approach also means the student is frequently having to learn the location and symbol of many new words, which may be less likely to be used again outside of this classroom topic.  \nAn alternative is to take a descriptive teaching approach which has students participate and demonstrate learning using common words to describe ([eg. green](eg. green) things), define ([eg. eat](eg. eat) plants), or predict (eg. not eat me) . This approach has a focus on using high frequency, core vocabulary which is already available in a student’s comprehensive AAC system. This develops a student’s familiarity with navigating to existing vocabulary which will be reusable in a range of contexts, and significantly reduces the programming load for school staff.  \nWe can use a descriptive teaching approach with our students who use AAC by modelling and teaching high frequency core vocabulary available in their device to help explain key concepts, and by asking more open questions when we assess our students’ learning.  \n(Witkowski & Baker, 2012)  \n\n| Referential Style | Descriptive Style |\n| --- | --- |\n| Need large vocabulary of words rarely needed daily | Need smaller vocabulary of words used daily ","cbCaihShYFJ9QVVS","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihShYFJ9QVVS","pdf",637127,"English","# Core vocabulary and its role in AAC\n## Core vs fringe/content vocabulary\n## Communication in the classroom\n# Descriptive teaching\n## Defining descriptive teaching\n## Why it helps AAC learners\n# Referential vs descriptive style comparisons\n## Example class topics and sample questions\n# Planning and teaching with core vocabulary","[{\"question\":\"What is core vocabulary in an AAC context?\",\"answer\":\"Core vocabulary refers to high-frequency, reusable common words used across many people, places, and topics. It is mainly made up of pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions, with relatively fewer nouns.\"},{\"question\":\"How does descriptive teaching differ from a referential approach?\",\"answer\":\"Referential teaching often focuses on curriculum-specific or topic vocabulary and may require staff to program new words or create extra vocabulary sheets. Descriptive teaching uses common core words so students describe, define, or predict concepts using vocabulary already available in their AAC device.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is descriptive teaching beneficial for AAC learners and staff?\",\"answer\":\"It supports student familiarity with existing device vocabulary across contexts and reduces the programming load for school staff. It also encourages learners to navigate and use core vocabulary to explain key concepts through open questions.\"}]","Core Vocabulary and Descriptive Teaching in AAC | PDF",1790607799]